Watch out for Orchard Central

Last Friday I saw this huge and bright building up in the sky along Orchard Road! The LED operated media wall facade is too attention seeking for the eyes! Its as though a giant monster clad in LED have landed our Planet Earth!

(Alex commented that Orchard Ion looked like 'the UFO had landed on Orchard MRT station' if you view Ion from Wheelock Place! I've seen it and couldnt agree more. I shall take a photo of it next time!)


Developer: Far East Organization
Architecture: DP Architects
GFA: 387, 988 sq ft
NLA: 250, 000 sq ft
No. of levels: 13 (11 + 2 basement levels)
Car park: Levels 9 & 10 (entire levels) Levels 5 & 8 (partial levels)
Shops spaces: 400
Development cost: S$650m
Opening hours: 11am to 11pm


UNIQUE ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
Singapore’s 1st ‘Vertical Mall’

• 11-storey-high media wall including a giant screen
• Forms outer shell of Orchard Central, facing Orchard Road
• Situated at the junction of Orchard Road and Killiney Road
• Super Escalators

(I think I saw one of these Super Escalators on the facade! Just imagine the escalator at Wisma that brings people up to the food court from the street level. Its a lil' more articulated than that, thats all.)

• Tallest pure-retail destination in Singapore
• Vertical design overcomes land area limitations
• Extended Orchard Road Frontage
• 160m stretch along Orchard Road for maximum visibility
• Street level; no conventional foyer
• Pedestrians can step from street into shop
• Urban Verandahs

• 3 open air balconies overlooking Orchard Road
• Slated for outdoor seating for F&B outlets
• Exchange Levels (L1, L4, L7)

• 3 sets of super escalators and 6 express lifts (12 in total) will bring shoppers from street to higher floors in seconds

• Exceptionally high 7m ceilings (floor to floor) replicate street level
• Designed as a common area for gathering and social activity
• Faceted Membrane

• Discovery Walk
• Part of a 400m walkway situated above the existing Somerset canal
• Links Orchard Central to Specialists’ Centre and Somerset MRT station
• 14m wide promenade with an enchanting and romantic theme

The cluster concept aims to address these results by grouping shops into eight different clusters with distinct identities (see factsheet):

EXCLUSIVE cluster (Levels 2 to 4)
FLAGSHIP cluster (Basement 2 to level 3)
YOUTH cluster (Levels 5 and 6)
HIGH LIFE cluster (Levels 7 and 8)
MAIN cluster (Levels 1 to 4)
DISCOVERY Walk (Level 1)
MASSTIGE cluster (Basements 1 and 2)
FOOD HAVEN (Rooftop)


(source: Skyscraper City)